Camping: My first time and maybe my last…
To be under the open sky and surrounded by trees and a river is a blissful adventure anyone should take. The sound of nature will consume you and nothing is as magical as the night sky. The green earth truly holds wonders that nothing else can compare to it. The air is much more fresh, the sun truly shines upon the flesh, and the clouds seem even bigger. The ability to spend even a few days away from the daily lives each one of us holds is miraculous and enchanting. There are many ways to be able to escape our hectic lives. For me this last weekend I was able to do that by going camping.
I’ve always wanted to go camping but never had had the opportunity. My aunt who lives in Chicago had been telling me how much she loves camping and being out in nature. We both share a passion for the outdoors and the bright sun. I mentioned to her that I had never been camping but had always wanted to experience it. So one thing led to another and we planned a trip to visit our family in Chicago and go camping with them! The trip itself was all planned out by my aunt. She took the initiative in packing all the food, tents, and camping essentials. My sister and I were super grateful that she was the one who did that since we had never packed for a camping trip before. There is so much that goes into preparing! There is great amount of food needed especially with nine people. There are tents, sleeping bags, chairs, tables, games, clothes, and so much more! Aside from all the crazy packing there were other things that I was taken by surprise. Such as making the tents, heat, the bugs, preparing food without a kitchen, and getting used to sleeping outside.
It was difficult at first to make the tents but with everyone helping it went by fast. It was fun to see how the tents went up once we connected all the pieces. It was fun to see how we all worked together trying to figure out what went where. Many other things were difficult to get used to. Preparing food with just one grill for nine people was a bit out of the norm but it was done. My aunts husband did a great job of grilling veggies and she did an amazing job of making coffee by the camp fire. Heat was another issue I was not ready for. Of course I was aware that it would be hot since we wouldn’t be in air conditioned rooms or anything like that. Yet, it was difficult to get used to being outside under the sun all day. We were able to find shade and relax by the river. I truly enjoyed watching the waves roll by under the trees. It was peaceful to be able to watch the gently water under my feet. Bugs were always around and especially by the river. I did get a lot of mosquito bites. That part was super uncomfortable but I somehow was able to make it through. I really surprised myself because there were was no where to shower or use the bathroom. We had to go all out in nature and wait till we went back to my aunts house to finally get to shower. Although there were things I wasn’t used to or ready for I truly enjoyed so much more from the camping trip.
The best parts were the clouds, the sunsets, the stars, and being around the camp fire with my family. The sky just looked so magical in the daylight and at night time. The clouds held such an enormous wonder and the stars shone brighter than anything I had ever seen. To be able to watch the sunset and devour the light only to bring the stars was beyond amazing. I truly could not get enough of the night sky. My sister saw two shooting stars as we laid out heads back to stare into the moonlight above us. The times we spent looking up at the stars by the camp fire was something I won’t forget. The nights were somewhat cold and having that heat was perfect. The best part was being able to chat up with our family around the camp fire. The second night there we told scary stories which was so much fun even though I couldn’t sleep that night. My aunts were both so much fun to be around with and my cousins constantly had me laughing.
I’ve always enjoyed the little time I have had with my family in Chicago since we don’t get to see them as often as we would like. The stories they tell us and the laughter we create is something I cherish very much. With this camping trip I took so much more than just being able to do something new. I was able to see a new side of my aunts and appreciate their love even more. Being able to go camping for the first time with them was great but I don’t know if I will be ready to go camping anytime soon. I am very happy I was able to do it and don’t regret it at all!
